More than 80 comedians are coming to town
Plus a $500 state refund on impact windows and Duke's warning to the city.
Comedy takes over town starting this weekend, and the state is handing money back for storm windows. A few other things landed too, including a warehouse fight that came down to trees.
The Joke WRLD Comedy Festival hits St. Pete this weekend with more than 80 standup comedians from around the country. That is a lot of microphones for one city over a few nights. Eighty comics do not fit in one room, so check the schedule before you commit to a night out. The Catalyst is a useful place to start if you are picking shows. If you have been meaning to try a comedy room here, the choice just got easy. One good set is a fine reason to leave the house.
Florida will refund the sales tax on your impact windows
Florida is refunding sales tax on storm-hardening upgrades, and the window is open now. Impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors qualify when installed on an eligible home. You still pay the tax at the register and claim it back later, so keep every receipt. The home has to be site-built, carry a homestead exemption, and have a just value of $700,000 or less. One owner, one property, and the refund tops out at $500. Purchases count from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029. Claims are due between July 1, 2026 and September 30, 2029, with the required forms.
A house is being printed on the south side of the bay
St. Petersburg has started construction on its first 3D printed home. Work began in early August, according to WIOD. The method generally means a machine laying down concrete in layers instead of a crew framing walls one at a time. Whether it saves real money or time in a Florida build is still an open question, and one house will not settle it. It is a small local test of a big idea, happening on an actual street. Expect neighbors with their phones out.
Duke put the city on notice
An agreement between Duke Energy and St. Pete has expired, and the utility followed with a warning to the city. The short version does not spell out what changes for rates, service, or the city's own budget. That part matters, because it is the kind of thing that shows up later on a bill or at a city meeting. If you write a check to Duke every month, this is the story to keep half an eye on.
The warehouse got approved, but the trees came first
Commissioners signed off on a St. Pete warehouse project this week after a contentious fight over trees. The developer revised the plans in direct response to concerns raised at the July meeting, and the changes were enough to get a yes. Tree canopy arguments here are rarely small. They are really about shade, drainage, and what a block feels like on an August afternoon. The Catalyst covered the meeting and what changed between July and now. If the site sits near you, that is where to find what stays and what goes.
Rays on the Runway comes back later this month
The Children's Dream Fund brings its annual Rays on the Runway gala back to St. Pete later this month, with Tampa Bay Rays players as the headline act. I Love the Burg calls it the best Rays experience outside of Tropicana Field, which is a fair pitch for a charity night. It is a gala, so plan on dressing for it. Tickets and the exact date run through the organizers. If you have ever wanted to meet players without a ballpark crowd between you and them, this is that.
Look down on your next walk
The Catalyst has a piece on following the red brick roads of St. Pete, and it is a good excuse to pay attention to the ground. The brick streets are one of the few things here that never got repaved, replaced, or rebranded. They trace where the old city ran before the newer one grew over the top of it. Read it before your next walk through the older neighborhoods. Then drive one slowly with the windows down, which is the correct way to experience a brick street anyway.